A day after interviewing Republican representative Dan Crenshaw, Kaitlan Collins invited another guest on “The Source” to discuss Donald Trump’s recent executive order banning transgender troops from serving openly in the military.
“I have been at the pinnacle of naval aviation. I’m proof standing here that we’re qualified to serve,” Navy Commander Emily Shilling told Collins. Over her 19-and-a-half years of service, Shilling has completed two tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan as a pilot and has seen 60 combat missions. She is also the president of SPARTA, an advocacy group for transgender troops.
Shilling was one of the first naval aviators to regain her flight clearance post-transition. She estimated that her transition kept her out of action for “about a month,” a period of time she likened to a minor knee surgery. She also noted that some people who transition never even take down time. Shilling further noted that the organization was “rightfully medically conservative.”
“I’m going to go fly a $100 million aircraft, the F-18, which you saw in ‘Top Gun 2.’ So they ran me through every psychological evaluation, every physical evaluation you can think of. And at the end of the day there was no reason to keep me out of the cockpit,” Shilling explained. “We see this with all the troops that are deployed across the world today already embedded in combat units. We have lawyers, doctors, special forces, rangers, and they’re all there today. If we yank them out, it leaves critical holes that are going to take decades to fill.”
Shilling also said that, based on the feedback she’s received, her transition has made her a better leader. She now has an easier time connecting to her subordinates in “a more authentic way because I can meet them wherever they are.” It’s also work that she wants to continue doing.
“I have no desire to get out,” Shilling added.
The commander ended her interview by saying she would “welcome” having a conversation with the new U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. She also remained respectful toward President Trump.
“The executive order actually just asked the SecDef to generate new policy. If you read his most recent memo to the troops, the last line says that he supports all members and all families of the armed forces,” Shilling said. “I hope he stands by those words.”
